How Brands Can Ride the Online Video Wave

In this age of online video, companies don’t need to settle for 30-second ads. Instead, they can partner directly with content creators to make entertainment that viewers want to watch and that carries a brand message.

At the recent Streaming Media Europe conference in London, executives from video sharing site Dailymotion[1] and creative agency Silver Bullet Digital[2] sat down to show attendees the range of possibilities in branded content. Brands are now getting savvier not only in the content they sponsor, but also in how they reach online viewers.

“Gone are the days when lots of brands pay for content and then decide that they’d like people to come to their website to watch content, said Steve Wild, managing director for Silver Bullet. “It’s about taking content to places where users are watching video. There lies the opportunity. I’m told that one in four tweets now have a link to content, which, if that’s the case, visualization of video online — whether it’s mobile, whether it’s your tablet, or whether it’s your PC — the opportunity is phenomenal.”

The area is still new, with both creators and brands exploring what resonates with viewers.

“Lots of brands will come on board to be involved in the video space once there are more packages of content to sponsor or be involved in or pay for,” Wild noted.”

In accompanying videos, Wild and his fellow panelist showed examples of creative ways that brands are currently using the medium. Music festival sponsorships are popular, as they let brands reach people at the festivals and then reach people watching clips of the festival once it’s over.

“The opportunity is for a brand to be able to amplify their message to be able to reach a wider audience. Most brands want to do that,” Wild said. “If you’re an alcohol brand and you’re involved in a festival, you don’t just want to be able to reach the people that are there. It’s great to be able to sell them a beer, but you want to be able to tell everybody else that you’re involved in music and you’re involved in festivals, so it adds value. If you can take your message and continue it in the digital space around content, then I think that’s where a lot of brands will start stepping up to be interested.”